‘Of necessitie, therefore, we judge it, that every several kirke have one schoolmaister appointed, such a one at least as is able to teach grammar and the Latine tongue, if the town be of any reputation: If it be upaland, where the people convene to the doctrine but once in the week, then must either the reader or the minister there appointed, take care of the children and youth of the parish, to instruct them in the first rudiments especially in the Catechisme . . . And, furder, we think it expedient, that in every notable town, and specially in the town of the superintendent, there be erected a colledge, in which the arts, at least logic and rhetoricke, together with the tongues, be read by sufficient masters, for whom honest stipends must be appointed: As also provision for those that be poore, and not able by themselves nor by their friends to be sustained at letters, and, in speciall, those that come from landward. . ..’

In consequence it was envisaged that ‘first, the youth-head and tender children shall be nourished and brought up in vertue, in presence of their friends. . . . Secondly, the exercise of children in every kirke shall be great instruction to the aged. Last, the great schooles called the universities, shall be replenished with those that shall be apt to learning, for this must be carefully provided that no father, of what estate or condition that ever he may be, use his children at his own fantasie, especially in their youth-head; but all must be compelled to bring up their children in learning and vertue.’

‘All Schoollmasters and Teachers of Youth in schools are and shall be liable to the tryall, judgement and censure of the Presbyteries of the Bounds for their sufficiency, qualifications and deportment in the said Office’.

‘Thus presbyteries were empowered to test schoolmasters before they began their work, and to inspect schools regularly to ensure that the teaching was satisfactory.’ (Bone). With the growth of Adventure and Subscription Schools church control became limited to parish and, with the co-operation of the town councils, burgh schools. With the extension of education to ‘Assembly Schools’ and Sessional Schools’ these were also inspected by the church authorities.

‘That there shall be a School settled and established, and a Schoolmaster appointed in every Parish not already provided, by Advice of the Heritors and Minister of the Parish; and for that Effect, that the Heritors in every parish meet, and provide a commodious House for a School and settle and modify a Sallary to a Schoolmaster, which shall not be under one hundred Merks, nor above two hundred Merks to be paid yearly at two Terms, Whitsunday and Martinmas by equal Portions’.

Future salaries of parochial school masters shall not be ‘under the sum of 300 merks Scots per annum nor above the sum of 400 merks Scots per annum”, They were to be revised every 25 years or fixed accordingly to “the value or average price of a chalder of oatmeal for all Scotland’.

The schoolmaster was to be provided with a house not consisting of more than 2 Apartments  including the kitchen.

Additional parish schools to be established, ‘parliamentary schools, built with aid of a government grant in quoad sacra parishes. The parish schoolmaster’s house was now to consist of ‘no less than two Rooms besides the Kitchen’.

In August 1861 an Act of Parliament was passed which ‘entirely severed all burgh schools from the Church, by providing that no master of any burgh school shall be subject to the government or discipline of the Established Church or to the trial, judgement or censure of the Presbytery for his sufficiency, qualifications or deportment in office’.

Salaries of schoolmaster were to be not less than £35 nor more than £70. Heritors were permitted to employ a female teacher to give instruction in ‘branches of Female Industry and Household training as well as of Elementary Education’. The female teacher’s salary was not to exceed £30 a year.

Schoolmasters were no longer required to sign the Confession of Faith. The examination of school from the Presbyteries and made the responsibility of the Universities.

The Revised Code was introduced following the Newcastle Commission to ensure parity of provision and attainment. Schools could claim 4s a year for each pupil with a satisfactory attendance record. An additional 8s was paid if the pupil passed examinations in reading, writing and arithmetic. Pupils were assessed by HMIs and teachers, whose salaries normally depended on the size of the grant, were tempted to change their approach to education. In many schools, teachers concentrated exclusively on preparing the children for the yearly HMI visit.

Made provision for the establishment transfer School Boards and the transfer of parochial and burgh schools to the new authorities.